Sumerian Polytheism - Tumblr Posts
A Very Sumerian Christmas
So, some friends of mine and I were thinking about the utter lack of Christmas-adjacent holidays in Sumerian Polytheism. My brain snagged on the idea of Santa Claus and Nanna's Journey to Nibru. The result? Ma-gur, or the festival of the processional boat. A celebration which starts seven days before the winter solstice. The celebration in question is of the seven who decree fate and the world which they have given us. It's a holiday about family as well as it is about honoring the gods. An - Solemn prayer and many candles to represent the stars. Sanctuary candle is lit and kept lit throughout the days to honor all the gods and symbolize how they guide us. Enlil - wishes for the new years and messages for the gods. Enki - prank war, and a general day of humor and celebration of the world order. Ninhursag - Day of charity and getting out into the world which the gods have created. Inanna - Day of giving to yourself, indulging and giving love to yourself and the gods. Utu - Day of improving the world around you. Fix broken things, commit to a cause, improve your life a bit. Rest and enjoy peaceful time with your family otherwise. Nanna - Gift giving and wild celebration. Winter solstice. Ends, as all the nights do, with offering and prayer to the god in question as well as tribute being given to one's ancestors, followed by the snuffing of the candle as the holiday comes to a close. That's the gist of it. Sounds like a good time either way. This is the slightly crisper version of a list that included things like "Inanna's Day- go clubbing" and "Ninhursag's Day- drag the kids into the mountains for bonding time". Also various ideas like tying wishes to balloons for Enlil's Day, water purification on Enki's Day, and letting some sunlight into my dark den of nerdiness on Utu's Day. Feel free to play with it. Pass it on?